MANILA – The upcoming 2025 national budget includes continued financial support for free assessments that lead to national certifications for senior high school students enrolled in the technical-vocational livelihood (TVL) track. A new provision in the budget mandates these students to participate in these assessments, aiming to increase certification rates and improve their job readiness.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, a proponent of this initiative, highlighted in a recent statement that the 2024 budget had allocated PHP438.162 million for the same purpose, but the funds were underutilized due to the voluntary nature of the program. Last year, out of 1,039 SHS-TVL students who participated in the assessments, only 926 received certification.
The initial goal for the 2023-2024 academic year was to certify 420,967 graduates, but this was revised down to 197,077. To address this shortfall and ensure the program’s continuity, the 2025 budget allocates PHP275.86 million, in addition to unspent funds from the previous year.
These funds will be managed under the Department of Education’s budget. Gatchalian emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating, “We will keep striving to offer free assessments for national certifications to these students. Alongside funding, we’ve also advocated for a policy making these assessments mandatory for SHS-TVL students.”